Tracy's story of escaping anxiety and depression ... releasing the pain of the past, reclaiming her self-worth and finding a new inner confidence

'I experienced emotional and psychological trauma from an early age. After initially being rejected and then abandoned by my parents I suffered from depression for most of my adult life.

I had always opted for anti-depressants rather than counselling or therapy, refusing to scratch the surface of what could be causing my often violent mood swings. I approached Clare for help when, around 18 months ago, I started to experience a series of what appeared to be, and what the GP thought were, either panic attacks or severe asthma.

Clare was amazing, we did work to remove panic, but she felt that the symptoms sounded like repressed emotions, possibly unresolved rage from past trauma, and this was borne out by subsequent GP tests. She started to unravel what was causing these attacks with a combination of counselling and hypnotherapy. Within one session, the ‘panic’ attacks had disappeared.

Clare has such a calming approach, just hearing her voice would immediately make me feel at ease. I always felt there’s was nothing I couldn’t tell her, she’s experienced so much herself, I felt like nothing would shock her.

Through the work I realised the depression, anger and anxiety were largely caused by fear ... fear of rejection, that I’d spent most of my life too afraid to take any risks, keeping myself small. But with Clare’s help, I have finally started to live my life fully, honouring my self. She has helped me find my courage and given me encouragement to lose weight and to start exercising. She has helped me to realise my own self-worth and not to listen to that critical voice always stopping me, limiting me from fully experiencing my life.

Now I don’t even recognise the person I was 18 months ago. Clare has helped me to find the real me!